GP upping my dose again, but I'm not keen.

[chickpea]

I've been on 20mg for nearly 3 months now, having started on 10mg and worked my way up slowly for some weeks before that.

I was feeling brilliant until the New Year and then things piled up and I started to get stressed again.
In my opinion, I was reacting in a totally normal way to a heap of problems - money, marriage, children's problems, debt etc.

However, I went to see my GP for a repeat prescription, and because I was tearful when she asked how I was, she has insisted I up the dose. I did ask her whether she didn't think it was a normal reaction to a shitty time, but she said it was extreme by "normal" standards.

She said she feels very strongly that I should go up to 30mg, even though I really want to sort out the problems I have without relying so heavily on medication.

I had an extreme reaction to Citalopram when I first started to take it, which is another reason why I'm not keen (and also why she has put me up to 30mg, not 40mg).

Any thoughts?

[Henpen]

I know just how you feel. My doctor switched me from Citalopram 20mg to Prozac this week because i was initially feeling better and then like you had a bit of a hiccup (my partner broke his ankle so suddenly have to do everything and I'm not coping with it all very well). I am trying to be positive about it and hoping that it will kick-start me in a positive direction (easier said than done). I hope you start to feel better soon and this is the beginning of a better phase for you :)

[suzy-sue]

Sometimes its not advisable to go up double the dose ..4omg is really quite strong ..I was put up to 30mg and it really made all the diifference ..You wont feel as bad as you did when you went on them at the beggining ,as they are now in your system ..I upped mine by 5mg for a few days then when i felt ok I upped again by another 5mg .It wasnt bad at all ..I had a couple of headaches and just felt more tired ,but it didnt last ...Youve had a month to get over christmas ,if you are still feeling stressed and anxious it would be really worth trying a higher dose imo ..It will help you cope better ...All the best Chickpea ..luv SUE :hugs:

[Logan_Five]

Chickpea - I've recently gone up from 20mg straight to 40mg. Only side effects that I've had are I feel more tired than usual, but I'll take that over the anxiety any day! If you have reservations - can you not get a 2nd opinion?

[Jipple]

hmm for me i find i make bad decisions when I am depressed! I almost through my degree in etc! but i think for now i am aware i am depressed so if a professional recommends it who appears understand the situation then I am willing to take his advice! i have had a 6 week holiday from uni and would say its been alot better, however, all i have done is take myself out of the pressure zone at uni i know that if i go back it will be the same as now!

anyways good luck, my advice is to listen him for now, if you have bad side effects then let him know otherwise give it a try! good luck =D

[smudger]

Hi. Just wanted to say that although doctors have good intentions and they are often right, they aren't always right. Its up to you to decide, it's your body and you shouldn't be forced or bullied into anything. If you really don't want to up the dose n feel you want to persevere a little while then that is your free choice. Would say though don't leave it too long to go back if you feel the need more help.

[KK77]

You were doing so well - I'm sorry to hear you are feeling so rubbish. Sometimes the upped dose can help you get through a bad period, and just because you increase doesn't mean that you can't reduce it again once you feel more stable.

As Sue says, if you increase it slowly by 5mg it's very unlikely you'll get any bad side effects - and definitely not like the ones you got when you first started.

But it's also true that you have to work through these issues and not just rely on medication, which I'm sure you are aware of.

Hope you feel better soon.

[waterfall]

Hi Chickpea [I think you and I may have started these meds around the same time?]
Anyways I just wanted to say that I started on 20mg in Sept for about 8wks, then 30mg for the same amount of time, and am now currently on 40mg [as advised by my CBT and not my GP]....I am almost 10wks on 40mg and to be truthful, in retrospect - this has been the dosage that I feel has worked 'best' on the whole....having said that I went for almost 26 good/v good days there and these last few have seen me have a 'blip' - but am convincing myself this is a result of time of the month, combined with added stress at work.....truly while Jan mite be a bad month for most ppl, it was the closest I have felt to being 'myself' in a long time....PLEASE, PLEASE let this be just a blip....!
Good luck x

[chickpea]

Thanks for all your replies - it really helps to get different perspectives on things.:yesyes:

I have decided to up gradually, so I've taken 25mg for the last few days - no side effects, so that's good.

Last week's sadness has all but gone, so I think it really was just a blip.
However, I finally got my gastro appointment yesterday and I now have to have a colonoscopy in the next couple of weeks - really, really NOT looking forward to that.:weep::ohmy:

I am very much hoping that it will throw some light on my stomach problems and maybe I'll feel better mentally as a result.:)

[moks]

Thanks for all your replies - it really helps to get different perspectives on things.:yesyes:

I have decided to up gradually, so I've taken 25mg for the last few days - no side effects, so that's good.

Last week's sadness has all but gone, so I think it really was just a blip.
However, I finally got my gastro appointment yesterday and I now have to have a colonoscopy in the next couple of weeks - really, really NOT looking forward to that.:weep::ohmy:

I am very much hoping that it will throw some light on my stomach problems and maybe I'll feel better mentally as a result.:)

I know I'm the total NOOB here, but I hope all goes well for you Chickpea, I really appreciate your posts and the honesty, helps me with planning for anything the next couple of months may throw at me!

[chickpea]

I know I'm the total NOOB here, but I hope all goes well for you Chickpea, I really appreciate your posts and the honesty, helps me with planning for anything the next couple of months may throw at me!

Hey, no worries.:D
Just knowing I wasn't going mad in the early days was a life-saver. Every time someone on here said, "what you're going through is perfectly normal, don't be scared", it made me feel better.:yesyes: